


Shopping Trip

by marnies



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Best Friends Max & El, Christmas Fluff, Coming Out, Established Steve/Nancy/Jonathan, Fluff and Good Times, Gaming, Gay Will Byers, Gen, Modern AU, Multi, References to Super Smash Brothers, Shh, Shopping Trip, Some Swearing (but not much), This is your secret santa gift, Whoo is this gay and fluffy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-20 13:20:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13147563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marnies/pseuds/marnies
Summary: In which Dustin buys a cat sweater and everyone goes holiday shopping.





	1. Of Gaming and Ugly Sweaters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [princessoftheworlds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessoftheworlds/gifts).



> Hey Nik! Sorry, this isn't fantastic; I hope you liked the little comic anyway. I just couldn't come up with a way to order this that did not involve splitting it into three chapters. Happy holidays!

-.I.-

   “Shit, shit, shit, shit!”

   “Dude, this is way too easy.”

   “I surrender; please!”

   “Die, idiot.”

_    “Player One--defeated!” _

   Mike threw his controller at the carpeted floor of the Sinclairs’ living room. They’d been playing for several hours, and Lucas had yet to lose a single match. Dustin had given up trying at some point, instead settling on the sofa above the two with his laptop. Their joint YouTube channel already had plenty of Dustin getting his ass beat, and Max’s channel had even more. Lucas reached over to shut off the camera.

   “That should be enough,” he said. “They already know I’m the Smash Bros champion, anyway.”

   “Whatever;” Mike grumbled, “I would’ve won if you didn’t play this stupid game every day. Right, Dustin?”

   “Hmm?” Dustin clicked and tapped and typed furiously. “Sure thing, Mike.”

   At that, Mike’s interest seemed to drift from defeat to whatever it was he was so absorbed in. Gracelessly, he hefted himself from the pillow on the floor to the couch. Before he could turn the screen away, Mike caught a glimpse.

   “What the hell is that?”

   “Shut up.”

   Lucas followed Mike, curiosity now peaked. He bounced up to level with the screen.

   “What the hell is that?”

   “Shut up!”

   It was the most disgusting Christmas sweater Lucas had ever seen. Covered in red polka dots, with a green trim, and red glitter, it had the large face of a tabby cat in the middle, wearing a little Santa hat. And Dustin was buying it online.

   “It’s for my mom, okay?” Dustin shut the computer. “She loves that kind of shit.”

   Mike cackled, unable to speak.

   “Would you genuinely buy that in public?” Lucas wondered. “We were in a physical store right now, and you saw that sweater, would you buy it?”

   “Hell no.”

   “Do people even go to real stores anymore?” Mike had recovered and was fiddling with the edge of a blanket beside them. Lucas noticed he did that a lot, always housing some excess energy that must have been hard to spend unless he was playing or DMing. “Everyone shops online these days. I bet the mall two towns over is dying.”

   “No it’s not,” Dustin dismissed while he placed the order, “my mom went there the other day.”

   “Did your mom buy you a matching sweater?” Lucas shoved a pillow at him before he could close the laptop. Dustin retaliated by shoving another two pillows directly in his face. Mike bounced his leg thoughtfully while they dueled.

   “I wonder if El would want to go shopping,” he wondered out loud.

   Lucas didn’t see a reason why not. Of course, it was an outdated stereotype that girls enjoyed shopping, (his mom had put an end to that idea when she explained to him exactly why his father did all the cooking and shopping) but it seemed like something Jane ( _ Jane,  _ he reminded himself. It was Jane, not El. El was a nickname reserved exclusively for Mike, and only because he came up with it.) would like. She’d always held a fascination for colorful trinkets and clothes, and stuff you would buy at tourist shops. What Mike probably thought was that it was her first Christmas. Come to think of it, it was Lucas’s first Christmas with Max too. He quickly became acquainted with the thought.

   “Well, I’ve got nothing to do today,” he said.

   “Today?” Mike perked up.

   “Do you have anything better to do?”

   Mike glanced at the controller on the floor. Then his gaze shifted to the clock on his phone. It was only 10:03.

   “I guess not.”

   Dustin was already shoving his laptop into his perpetually overstuffed backpack.

   “I guess all we need’s a ride.”


	2. Of Photo Booths and Self-Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Nancy have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo whee, sorry this chapter took so long. I was hoping it'd be better. Also, my entire portrayal of Steve is just 100% projection so uh yeah enjoy

-.II.-

   A bike ride to the Wheeler’s house had gotten the three nothing but exercise, and one to the Byers’ got them Will. Will was a little surprised at them for making plans so quickly but excited nonetheless. Nancy and Jonathan were nowhere to be found, but Will’s mom offhandedly mentioned that her son had been spending a lot of time at the Harringtons' with Nancy. Of course, she wouldn’t know why. The kids knew that Joyce would approve of the relationship between the three of them, but Steve and Nancy’s parents would be far less forgiving. As an act of solidarity with his partners, Jonathan had made Will promise not to tell their mother, and he had agreed. Either way, the kids rode to Steve’s house in hopeful search of a faster mode of transportation.

   Parking their bikes, Mike accidentally bumped hips with Will. He pretended not to notice.

   Lucas knocked once. There was no answer.

   He knocked again. No answer.

   He knocked again. Will was starting to think no one was home.

   Lucas knocked once more before Dustin pushed him out of the way and furiously rapped his knuckles against the door. Some shuffling, the muffled sound of a person crashing into a piece of furniture, and a groan followed. After a minute or two, (it was a big house, Will supposed) Jonathan emerged, looking tired.

   “Why aren’t I surprised?”

   “Hi, Jonathan!” Mike greeted. Will definitely did not notice the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, or the roundness of his lightly freckled cheeks.

   “Why don’t you answer your texts?” Dustin demanded.

   “Maybe,” Jonathan moved aside when Dustin invited himself in. “You could try actually calling me, so the phone actually rings.”

   “Where’s Steve?” Will wondered out loud. “What, are you housesitting now?”

   His brother hid his face carefully. “Um.”

   “And what were you doing here all night, anyway?” He continued.

   Nancy appeared out of nowhere, with all the alacrity Jonathan seemed to be lacking. Will answered his own question.

   “Oh.”

   “What are you guys doing here?” Nancy took her boyfriend’s arm. “I think Steve’s still asleep.”

   Dustin immediately perked up at that.

   “I’ll get him!”

   While Dustin bounded up the stairs, the remaining assemblage moved to the huge kitchen, which looked as if it hadn’t been touched by anything but a sponge in months. Sometimes Will forgot that their dorky Steve Harrington came from such an affluent family. He hadn’t liked Steve at first, being the guy who allegedly bullied his older brother, (Jonathan hadn’t told Will this himself, but there were rumors) but ever since he’d helped Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Max burn that hub in the Upside Down, Steve had become (in a strange way) part of the family. Sometimes Will’s mom would have Steve come over when she didn’t want Will to be alone. Sometimes he’d come over unannounced to help their mom clean, or swap recipes with Jonathan, or hide in Jonathan’s room to “help him record.” Gross. Anyway, Will had come to love him as a brother. Well, brother was a stretch. Maybe a weird uncle, or grandpa, or a second mom.

   Dustin waltzed back into the kitchen with a mostly-still-asleep mess of hair and pajamas (under which must have been Steve) in tow. 

   “Morning, sleepyhead,” Nancy teased.

   Lucas corrected her. “Afternoon.”

   “Whatever.” Steve moved towards the coffee machine. “Gimme, like, fifteen minutes.”

   After about five seconds of quiet coffee brewing, Mike interrupted.

   “Are you almost done yet?” He anxiously bounced his leg, always full of that quiet, relentless energy.

   “Why are you guys here, anyway?” Jonathan finally asked.

   Palpably relieved at being given a task, Mike went on to tell of their need to go shopping and expose his girlfriend to all the glittery wonders of capitalism. Will winced a little at ‘girlfriend,’ but otherwise was fascinated with Steve, who seemed to have actually passed out a few mere seconds after having sat down at the counter. Nancy and Jonathan listened.

   “So, basically, you need a ride,” Jonathan clarified, “from all three of us.”

   “Well, really only one of you, but since you’re all here, it’d probably be okay if you all came along,” Lucas confirmed.

   Nancy laughed breathlessly.

   "I’m glad you’ll allow it,” she said, absently slapping Steve awake. “Guess we should head out if we want to pick up Jane.”

   “Can we bring Max too?”

 

* * *

 

   They ended up taking two cars, Nancy’s and Steve’s, since breaking out the Wheelers’ minivan proved to be too much effort. Will ended up riding shotgun next to Nancy, with Lucas, Max, and Mike in the backseat. Mike, of course, was pissed at not being able to ride with Jane and fumed for just about the entire ride. Will definitely didn’t notice how his bright cheeks complimented dark eyes, or how his hair fluttered from the wind blowing through where the window didn’t quite close all the way. He twiddled his thumbs and tried to focus on whatever Max and Lucas were being cute about.

   Will’s heart definitely didn’t jump when their fingers brushed on the way out of the car, and it definitely didn’t sink when Mike ran off to meet Jane.

   “You okay?” Suddenly Nancy was right beside him.

   “Yeah,” he said after a moment too long, ripped from his own thoughts. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

   Nancy didn’t press.

   “So I guess we’ll split up, then?” Jonathan asked once the group had (for the most part) accumulated.

   “Sure.” Nancy still gave him a bit of an odd look. “Will, why don’t you come with me, Jane, and Mike. Everyone else, stick with Steve and Jonathan.”

   Dustin had started to set off when Steve smacked him across the chest. “And no wandering off,” he said. “I will not hesitate to buy child leashes.”

   “Fucking whatever…” Dustin rubbed his chest and pushed the front door open slowly. Steve gave Nancy a quick peck on the lips and was gone, along with over half of the group.

   “Okay!” Nancy grinned. “Where to first?”

   Mike had quite a bit to show Jane, apparently, starting with the bookstore, and moving on to clothes and candy and toys. Nancy made an offhand comment on how any other day, Mike wouldn’t be caught dead anywhere near a toy store. Jane, though, was fascinated with almost everything Mike showed her, and Will had a sneaking suspicion that was only due to Mike being who showed her. Not that he could blame her. They went to GameStop and bought ice cream and joked around, and Will tried to pretend to fit in. When Jane dragged Mike over to an old photo booth, Nancy confronted Will.

   “It’s okay,” she told him.

   Will’s heart raced a little. “What’s okay?” It wasn’t that obvious, was it?

   Nancy was silent for a moment, staring at Mike and Jane. Jane was trying to get the booth to work without putting any money in, and Mike was trying to explain to her how it worked, despite the fact that he’d never been in a photo booth in his life. Will suspected he and Nancy wouldn’t be interrupted for a few minutes. He wasn’t getting out of the conversation.

   “I mean it’s okay that you like him,” she said. “It’s not predatory, or whatever. You’re allowed to crush on your friends.”

   Will was silent. She went on.

   “And it doesn’t mean you have to know who you are, either. I know there’s all this pressure to, like, label yourself or whatever, but don’t be in such a hurry. It’s cool to just be Will for a while.”

   Will swallowed. It was a lot to take in. Obviously, Nancy meant well, but--

  “How did you know?”

   She made a little hum of a laugh. “It’s not that obvious,” she assured him. “I guess I just… saw a little bit of myself in you.”

   Will stared at her.

   “What?”

   He stared some more.

   “Jesus Christ.” This time she laughed in full, pushing his shoulder playfully. She dug out a dollar from her wallet. “Here. Go help my brother before those two get hurt or something.”

   After a quick pause, Will accepted. He smiled gratefully, and Nancy gave him a wink. Will ran towards Mike.

   Nancy was a pretty cool girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I suck bye

**Author's Note:**

> Again, sorry this isn't great! Was very pressed for time this season. I'll post the rest a little later! This one chapter is more of an intro than anything, so there's not a whole lot to it. Hopefully, when the rest is posted I'll come back and edit this part.


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